Uncle Ryan

Dearest Mother,

I'm glad you had lots of opportunity to play with the little people. I miss them. I wish we would have random people show up at our building! We did have one of our investigators come though! He has been coming regularly for the past month, but is struggling to understand the need for a second baptism under proper authority. humph. We started a stop smoking workshop with him and we are excited to see his end results! This man could use all the prayers in the world right now! Good for Brianne! Now if she would just write me :) I thought I told Sara to stay away from boys! I love treats! especially chocolate! :) We have a whopping 3 youth! WOOT WOOT!! Its crazy over here on Wednesdays! Only one of them is active though. We are in the process of reactivating the others. The one who is active is named Sophia and she is the model that Disney used to draw lilo for lilo and stitch. Crazy right? The whole branch here could use boosts! Have the babes confound the wise and learned! I have not run into any Futrells. I was told by another missionary that he thinks he might have met some in the Chickasaw area. But who knows. Nope no new leadership! :( I finally got fed up and threw a temper-tantrum! I called Pres. Walkenhorst and told him all that was going on (or the lack there of) he told me he would be calling the stake president to discuss of branch in depth. So Elder B2 might have become a thorn in some peoples sides! I like it! ;) muahahaha. I love you all so very much!

 As for my little Repunzel, I love you a whole bunch! I have a picture of you right next to my desk so every morning I see you and your brother and sisters faces! It makes me super happy every time I look at it! You are getting to be super cute, smart, and big! I hope you have the bestest bithday ever! Have grandpa give you a big ol' kiss for me! Then give your baby sister a kiss for me too! I love you!

Uncle Ryan.

I mean Elder Burnham(B2)

Not a Second Wasted. :)

Trial of Faith

Well I'm glad miracles are occurring back home, could you share? This has been a rough week. Everything fell through. Blah! Talk about a trial of faith. Well we were able to catch a few less actives, so that was good. Well I at least had Sunday to look forward too. We would be having a branch council and developing a branch mission plan..... BUST!!!!! It became a confession session, and finger pointing! After two hours of discussing problems only and no solutions, the only action items put down were a greeter at the door and more branch activities, THAT'S IT!! The action items us missionaries brought forward were joked about and shot down because they asked "Who would you coordinate this through, the branch mission leader?" If you don't recall, our mission leader is non-existent. He avoids us like the plague! So I've finally resorted to involving our mission president. I think some training and PPI's could be beneficial, this branch is a quaint strong little branch but it needs some major help. I of course can't instruct these auxiliary leaders. But I know who can, and believe you me, I think he is getting sick of hearing my prayers about this. hahaha. Well what can one do? The work goes on. I'm glad to hear the ward is still growing.  Well I guess I'm glad Sara is learning to accept all people as children of God. We need to stay focused on potential. I love you all.

P.S The pictures are of Elder Kawaii on exchanges, My good ol' companion, and a giant spider the size of my hand.

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham(B2)

Yeah, I did a hard thing.

Well Shoot!

Since I email at the church I have no set back! This week has been so so! We have been able to catch a lot of less actives and hopefully strengthen their testimonies! We are starting to see that part of missionary work pick-up (Less actives). I did exchanges this week with Elder Kahawaii down in Sulphur, we were able to teach a deaf family via pen and paper and using the cell phone. It was pretty interesting! But we had a wonderful visit, and they are just a super solid family! They even have a deaf dog!!! Its great! Elder Kahawaii and I ended up singing to an investigator, which was interesting. Kahawaii has a super good voice, so it covered up mine. :) I was a little hesitant with leaving Elder Kenison to run the area with Kahawaii's comp. because they are both fairly new out in the field. And yes my fear came true. They ended up getting in with a young family and I guess from what I understand, slammed them pretty good with authority and so I will be going over tomorrow to see the damage. What I gather is that they spent about 30 minutes just telling them that all their preachers, pastors were false and all baptisms they preformed were invalid and wrong. Needless to say they didn't take to kindly to it. I mean yes everything they said was true, but the delivery of the pie in the face is so crucial! So this will be fun!!! So I'm sorry to hear that the missionaries out there aren't really opening up to the members and creating environments/ relationships to build one another up. Its all about the members and working in unity! We are excited for the new drive in the branch here! We meet together as a branch next Sunday and will be creating our branch mission plan! Hey dad, you should send me a copy of the modesto 1st ward's plan! Sara,  Be the bigger man. (woman). Kindness brings about kindness. Love brings about love. Service brings about service. Just as those are true so is contention brings about contention, which do you want? :) I love you! I know you are awesome. I know you had to deal with schmucks for brothers, so here is your schmuck brother trying to help you out instead of beat you down! Sara you are the example to me, not the other way around. You do so much missionary work and you don't even recognize it! Continue being the light others can depend on when some kind of darkness blurs their vision. I know this gospel is true! I know what I'm out here doing is no man's work or labor, but God's. I know the trials we face can be sometimes blamed on satan, but we also need to take a step back and see how we can grow from our struggles. Will we get back in shape if we don't go through pain and soreness? I have come to love challenges and trials! I see them as a way to prove myself! Y'all know I'm a show-off, well lets all be righteous show-off's. Let's be able to look back at trying times and say "Yeah, I did a hard thing" How do we show-off righteously? Read Mosiah 18:8-19. "We are all enlisted til the conflict is o'er, happy are we, happy are we" I love you all so very much! Keep Pauls Valley in your prayers!

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham(B2)

6 Months out

Well I guess I've got some explaining/ answering to do. I guess I'll start with the debit card dilemma. No it's not that I don't get enough, it's that I don't get enough to get the necessities and some materials for a stop-smoking workshop we do. We encourage our inves. to buy the stuff themselves, but as I'm sure you are aware the residents here in OK are often in some destitute situations, we try our best to get fellow-shippers to provide these things, and sometimes that works, but often the members are just as if not more destitute than the inves. I know it's not a very good excuse, But I promise I wont use my debit anymore unless its an emergency. I'm sorry. It's very hard to walk into a home that has no power, A/C, furniture, or food with a suit on, nice shoes, a nice back-pack to hold everything, a snack to keep me good if I start to get hungry. I try and give all I have, I know anything I do is temporary, but I try my best to help out in anyway possible. I know the water I bring will only quench their thirst for a little while, but the doorway I bring them to leads to the everlasting living waters! I just all would understand this in our wonderful message! Yes, I have been writing Tayler Fox, actually she initiated the contact. I just told her to ask Michael Barton about the Plan of Salvation, because she told me her grandfather just recently passed away. I haven't heard back yet. I have asked her to get me Kimberly Lewis' address but again i haven't received anything back yet. So Jennie got married aye? Good for her! Did Sara get to do a family name at the baptisms? Man next time y'all see Shea tell that woman to write me!!!!!!! she is being a brat! The only one who sees me off and she still hasn't written me. NOT COOL. We have not received any new leadership, our Branch President will be here for another month I believe. He hasn't even found a home to move into yet. BUT, He taught a splendid lesson during third hour, on hastening the work!!! He challenged the whole branch to specify their fast for inspiration for developing a mission plan, which has been non-existent since forever ago! We are so excited to see the branch step it up! I don't know if it was because Elder Burnham pesters members to go out with the missionaries, or if it is because I hound the branch president for a new mission leader, but either way he has stepped up to the plate! I'm excited to see the fire under everyone's cabooses! YEE-HAW!!!! Has Pres. Walkenhorst contacted you? Yes I am still training while serving as DL. I feel like I don't have enough time to plan district meeting trainings, as well as quality training with Elder Kenison. Thank-goodness for manuals we can rely on for basics. I've survived the first week so I guess I CAN do this. Yeah you can delete the photos and videos, the reason my pictures aren't good quality is because the camera is old and not the best of quality, I liked my old camera! but it didn't have an SD card :( I guess I can fidel around with it. So to answer dads inquiry; no the weather hasn't been to crazy. Super humid, which kills while biking, but just as hot as back home.... I think. I've accepted sweat as a natural thing and I have no phobia whatsoever! Sweat is my friend not my enemy! I have to tell this to myself every morning! Hey if y'all could get me McKay's address I would appreciate that. Thanks for the reminder dad! I totally forgot that a ward/branch activity can be scheduled soon! I will implement that in this little branch! That will be a great opportunity for fellow-shipping! Does the Modesto 1st ward have a mission plan? I want a copy? I've never seen one, my past two areas didn't have one, and since we are headed down the road to creating one it might be insightful to know what one might look like :) Well this week has been good, we did a lot of service this week! Elder Kenison and I moved in a sister from the Ada ward all by ourselves! We helped rip up old linoleum from like the 50's, that was fun, not as an occupation but for a one time experience it was fun! I ripped some garments in the process, oops. But I felt like a man! HOORAH! :) Well I love all of you guys! Keep up all the good work! I love it out here! I can't believe It's already been 6 months! Holy-cow this is flying by! It needs to stop that! Work on that for me will ya? :) I love ya more!

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham(B2)

District Leader!

Well this week has been quite full! Elder Kenison and I have become very acquainted with missionary "work" hahaha. We got to rip up an old floor, It was great! Not only were we handling big heavy tools, but we were not in a white shirt and tie!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!! We then taught this investigators family a very intense Plan of Salvation lesson! It wasn't exactly as we had planned it, but they understand it, and understand that they wont fully accept the things we teach until they truly have come to know the Book of Mormon is true! So they are reading! To go along with that, we ran into "Papi" an old southern baptist man, who is awesome! We knocked into him and the first thing he said was "I'm sorry boys I'm baptist" We didn't let up one bit!!! booyah! We bore testimony of the divinity of our message right there on his door step and asked him to read from the Book of Mormon and lo and behold, his next statement was "oh man I was going to ask for one to read, I really want to but I didn't want to impose." We are super excited for him! So this past Thursday we had a meeting up in the city and I asked President if he had gotten the letter yet, he said he hadn't. So I told him what will be coming and asked him what his thoughts were, well he said he never has heard of that, siblings serving together. He said he thinks that would be an awesome experience and he would be willing to work with whomever to get it rolling. I love Pres. Walkenhorst! He is such a great man! So inspired, yet so down-to-earth! So regarding those pictures you think you are sending out, I actually would like a picture of the whole family, as recent as possible but still before the mission. I'm gettin' hounded out here foo not having any so I need one with my siblings and all that jazz. Oh and I asked for some advice on training a while ago, well transfers are this Wednesday and... yeah any advice on leadership roles? Maybe even from Sean. I have been called to be the district leader down here. Well I'm loving it out here! Its getting a little crazy with them miracles! I love it! We will be getting a new branch president soon. Wednesday is the "meeting" for all priesthood leadership to attend, so it will be soon. We need it, I'm hoping this means a new branch mission leader! Things are picking up here in little Pauls Valley.

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham (B2)

 

 

Hunky-dory :)

I am glad to hear all is well and hunky-dory. I am also so thankful I will always have a place to sleep in your home even if it is in a sleeping-bag on the cold hard floor. Just a side thought, I wonder how many of those bags began as the Walker's, and how many of the Walker's bags began as ours? All well, well this week flew bye! We have been doing lots of work, and weeding out the elect from the non. I have really pushed this to the front of my sights and am trying my best to work with those I feel impressed are the elect. I desperately want to do my part in working towards the goal of 100 baptisms in August, but not to complain, Pauls Valley is notorious for being the "dead-zone." We had ended the drought with our one baptism last transfer, but let me tell you; Satan is hitting this mission hard with our new resolve! Us missionaries are very well known now, we have been involved in community projects, events, and lots and lots of knocking! We haven't seen too much result from all this, so we turned to the members! Which we should have done in the beginning, but we don't have the miles to get out to our members! Its so frustrating. We are trying so hard to involve the members here but no one has any motivation. We started a missionary 101 class to invigorate members, we try those who are within our miles. No one is doing anything because in 2 weeks there are going to be major changes to the branch. New branch president and all that jazz. Our mission leader is super dee duper less active! He is now setting us up! We setup appointments then he magically is not there! He is the only one I have met who has avoided his calling to this degree! BLEHHHH! But other than that the work is going great! We have found some families out there! They are in outlying towns that we can't get to frequently, but we are doing what we can! Oh, I don't know what it is but it seems like we are finding more receptive spanish speaking families than english, which is fantastic because we don't have anyone here who speaks spanish, Oh wait yeah we do our mission leader! :( We could use Sean immensely right about now! I know this will end up on Sean's screen so, Sean If you would please, write me and include your testimony in spanish that I can relay to these wonderful families. I actually kind of taught a lesson in spanish the other day. I took out the Libro de Mormon and read Moroni 7:45-47 in spanish and took the vocabulary from that and did my best. It was pretty cool, I so wish I had been called spanish speaking! Maybe we are finding all these spanish families because it is prep for Sean to come ;) hahaha. I thoroughly enjoyed the letter sent to the Mission Presidents. It is really cool to see the line of missionaries I come from! I am at this point the youngest serving out of our whole family! I have been prepared and had the best of examples to apply into my own mission! Thank you to all! I love you so very much! If you have gotten anything out of this letter, I would hope it was be involved in missionary work! I love this work! I love the struggles that arise, but I love seeing the growth when we finally look back and see the victory of those trials! 

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Ryan Burnham (B2)

Every Member a Missionary

The week sounded awesome for y'all. I'm a little jealous, but not too much! I think the reunion I'm having with my brothers and sisters out here is pretty darn sweet as well. (And I've got Fields Pie) Man I still cannot fathom Sara being in high school. It's just not right! So, have you arranged for someone to pick Sara up every morning or will you be taxiing once more? I say make her walk! :) When does water polo practice start? Has she considered leadership? If not she better! It will help with college! Get involved Sara!!!! So we had our temple conference this past Thursday. It was great! The OKC temple is tiny but just as wonderful as any other. For our conference part Pres. Walkenhorst established his vision for the mission! For the month of July we got 28 baptisms and confirmations, For the month of August he has received inspiration to challenge us and see 100 baptisms and confirmations!!! HOLY MOLY!!! Its a big number, but if he has confidence in us we should have confidence in us! Needless to say the work is hastening! We have got to really put in the work now! I thought I was doing all I could before! I guess it wasn't good enough! Time to build upon the knowledge and understanding I have! I am fervently praying to find the elect in this little town of Pauls Valley! I am kind of feeling overloaded with responsibilities here in this branch, with having to teach gospel principles, a missionary 101 class, train, and do my best to help this vision come to pass! But who said it was going to be easy right! Maybe this dough boy will be back in shape in no time! So that's really all I've got for y'all today! Mom don't worry about the stamps too much, whenever they arrive they arrive. I'm learning patience and it will help me in the long run! Well I love you guys! I hope all is well wherever you may be! Thanks for all you do for me! Keep up the good work! And remember every member a missionary!

Not a Second Wasted

Elder Burnham (B2)

Wonderful Week

This week has been wonderful! I haven't seen the branch participate in missionary work so much as I experienced this week! We got a whopping 3 members with us! That is soooo awesome for out here! We saw some great miracles! One that ill just kind of share is about a man named Robert. We knocked some doors, and weren't having much success until we came across a gold mine!!!!!! TRAILER PARK!!!! It was great, we grabbed a bunch of potentials. Robert and his family being a few. Well we returned and taught the Restoration and it went superb! He told us that he had really not been very active in any church since his move from Texas, but that he knew we were sent of God to put him back on the right path! It was amazing! Even with Conan the barbarian on in the background we all felt the spirit! He wants to keep meeting with us and is all for reading the Book of Mormon! He wasn't too excited when we brought up baptism, but "Resistance is Futile!" I'm real excited to work with him and his family! His wife and son were both involved in the lesson so we are just pumped for them and for what lies in store for them! So the Google Maps car was doing its route while we were out tracting, so you might be able to see Elder Kenison and I on Walnut st. in Pauls Valley :) So I received the biggest wake-up call thus far! A 77 year old potential told Elder Kenison while we were on exchanges that every time she sees me she just wants to poke me in the belly! I WAS CALLED THE PILLSBERRY DOUGH-BOY! NOT COOL!!!!! Well needless to say, we have done a lot more biking, and my personal exercise has picked up! :(  Well I'm super glad to hear Sara is doing H2O Polo! I think she could be super good at that! Jenni can be here personal trainer! I don't know if I have a message for the family besides I love them all to death! Don't get into trouble and if they ever see missionaries offer them something to drink! Its dadgum hot! As for the memory, its more of for the home than the individual. I remember spending the night at grandma and grandpa's and all day long I was either at the park digging for those weird sand bees, or I sneaking grandpa's Vienna Sausages, or I was climbing the big tree out back. I remember falling out of that tree from like 15 feet up and running inside afraid to tell anyone because I thought I would get into trouble, silly, but I was dead afraid I would get chewed out for climbing the tree and falling out of it!!! Well That's really all I've got for y'all this week! Have a wonderful reunion! Don't forget to look for those fields pies if they have 'em there. I love y'all so much! Y'all are always in my prayers! Oh mom, how did the writing to the Presidents go? And nope just those stamps. I've got like 10 letter sitting in envelopes waiting for stamps :) I love you.

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham (B2)

Prayer Conditioned

Dearest Mother,

This week has possibly been the hardest, most rewarding week of my 5 months out here. First off let me tell you, If I ever get the chance I want to drop-kick Satan straight in the mouth!!!! Okay anyway, sounds like y'all had a pretty nice week! I still haven't been to that science academy! Which is super wrong, because I'm your sciencey kid! All well, I guess we will do it many moons down the road. How is Diane doing? Tell her hello and thanks for all the fun she created! She always was a great friend. Practically another aunt. Oh good-ol' DMV, I do not miss having to go there! the big 3 0 aye? Man my sister is old! :) She is practically a grandma! Hey mom, were you able to find those Field's Pies? mmmmm I had some this week and it was super good! I would suggest getting at least one pecan for yourself, you are not going to want to share! Well this week has been a great one! Elder Kenison and I went on exchanges and he and Elder Kahawaii ran Pauls Valley while I went down with our district leader to Sulphur. They were able to get into some homes that E. Kenison and I couldn't because E. Kahawaii is Hawaiian and everyone loves him! So we had a lot of peoples hearts softened. We taught a real solid girl, this is the girl that needed a hug. She has committed to baptism and is really excited for it! Now we just need to help her break some habits and we will be good! Smoking, drinking, and gambling, you know little things! Well I'm glad to hear all is well! I hope Sara will continue to be as much of a help as it sounds like she has been. I guess when you take the thorn out of someones side they become a lot nicer and willing to work. ;) I know I could be quite the thorn, but hey give me a break I was just doing my job! I love that girl! Well I'm fixin' to go, we have an appointment with Alyssa, the hug one, I love y'all so much. Be very prayerful this week. I know I will be. Oh I saw a church billboard this week that said "Come on in our church is Prayer Conditioned" Get it? Prayer Conditioned not Air conditioned! Bahaha. Anyway I love ya.

Not a Second Wasted

Elder Burnham (B2)

Posterity Picture and Pie

Wow Its always fun to hear from you all! These past weeks have been some good ones it sounds like! I don't even know where to begin. Girls camp sounds like it was a blast, no pun intended. Any rowdy priest bring pizza up this year? Man speaking of shotguns, that is the hardest thing for me out here. I don't know how many times i have been invited to shoot or handle firearms out here. Being so comfortable with them, it kills me not to go shooting with all these cowboys out here who have every gun/weapon known to man! But all is well. Man I really hope SanDisk can do something, that was 100 pictures. I would be really sad if they disappeared. It has all my MTC pictures as well. So Sis. Remington is going to be a seminary teacher? That is awesome! She will be great! Hey mom if you could, I would really appreciate receiving Freddy's address. I would really like to write to that man. So you want to hear about training do ya? Well I'm not...... hahahaha Well I am but I'm not. Elder Kenison is from West Valley, Utah and is a super solid kid. He came pre-trained. He's got the lessons down, he is bold, when I took him knocking, he would step up and say I've got this one. Which was pretty impressive. Especially since he had never heard of the "Heavenly Gift" before. I'm proud of this kid. He has got that greeny fire! He keeps me on my toes. He even took on some hardcore, holy-roller, crazy Baptist! It was hilarious to stand back and watch but he handled it quite well. So yeah, the training is going great, besides the extra hour of it! The training I really do, is little technical fine tuned stuff. But nobody likes to be nit-pickey. However, I've come to know that being nit-pickey and doing the small stuff helps us do the great stuff! By small and simple things..... Anyway, he is super solid. So when I read your email mom, I read "You follow your brother's council and train with confidence and "humidity." I was thinking to myself, why would you say that? That's a cruel thing to joke about! Humility, yeah that's a lot better! Ill do my best!

 

This is a posterity picture. Elder Anderson my father now a grandfather, me, and Elder Kenison. Hey so have y'all heard anything about the Church's cannery's shutting down? So I have my first dog bite!!!! WOOHOO! I almost killed the thing though! Stupid dog! Oh now that I have taken over the area I'm the one who gets to drive! I'm super happy to be behind the wheel again! Ok Mom, if you want a little bit of Pauls Valley, go to Walmart and go to the frozen desserts look for Fields Pies. The Pecan is my favorite. Anyway they're made here and I'm told are sold in every Walmart nationwide. So get yourself one! Well I don't know what to write about now. President Walkenhorst is super tall! Ok picture this, me standing at the pulpit and him standing on the floor below, we are the same height then. He is a funny laid back guy. He likes to hit too! I had my trainer interview with him and he walks out sees me shakes my hand then hits me in the gut and said "Your next huh? Bummer, come on in" It took me by surprise to say the least! But I love the guy. He is real easy to work with, So momma do your magic and try and setup my next companion! I love ya a ton! I hope this week is a little more relaxing! I love y'all so much, keep up the work, do your part!

Not a Second Wasted

Elder Burnham (B2)

New Trainee

Man, sounds like quite the week! I kind of want to see Jenni and Bud's house, but I don't want any kids in the shot. Well this Wednesday I will meet my trainee. Elder Haskell is going to Altus and opening a new area. That will probably be his last area. He has these last 2 transfers left. I'm kind of glad he is leaving, his trunkiness does not help anything! Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum! One comp leaving, the other just coming in! I'm pretty dadgum nervous about training, but I'm also really excited..... I think. So if any of y'all have tips please send them my way, they will be much appreciated! So Mother, I have a few inquiries. Would it be possible for you to get some music collected and send it my way? Music is approved that is uplifting with good messages. I would really like that! Also I'm running low on stamps and I was curious to know if you might be able to send some? Last, but not least, Could you give me Sean's new address? So I've got some new info; the Mission Department has issued a no backpack rule. They claim they are unprofessional and make us targets. The rumor is shoulder/side bags will be approved, but no backpacks. Also, Ipads are coming in to our mission soon. This will be very interesting! I'm pretty excited about that. So I am serving around an Elder Sewel, from Loomis CA, great friends with the pilchers. Small world right? Also one of our AP's was Elder Fischer's Zone Leader in the MTC. Crazy right? Well this transfer will be "a whole new world" for me! Keep my trainee in your prayers, he is going to need them with dealing with me! I love you all sooo much. Hey before I wrap up, I am curious to know what has become of Freddy Lemmo? Has he gone back out? Anyway, I hope y'all are adjusting again. I love you guy and pray for you always!

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham (B2)

Huggin'

That was exhausting to just read! It sounds like y'all had a splendid couple of weeks! Im a little jealous, but not really! Well before I forget I want to share something I thought pretty interesting; it's from a John Bytheway talk. Our Great-Grandfathers called it the Holy Sabbath, our Grandfathers called it the Sabbath, our Fathers called it Sunday, and we call it the weekend. There is something terribly wrong with this isn't there? This just got me to thinkin' about how I keep/kept the Sabbath day holy. Anyway, so the two baptisms went smooth! I implemented Brianne's intermission thing with testimonies on 3x5 cards. She really appreciated it. So yeah my solo went well, meaning I didn't screw up. Then at the second baptism all 4 elders signed "When I am baptized." It shocked her and she began to cry. It was a very neat experience for me! Maybe ill film myself doing it and send it to y'all. This probably wont be my last experience with signing because I found out I will be staying in Pauls Valley. Pretty early to find out right? Well here is the big news..... I have been called to train! Crazy right? I received a phone call from the assistants right after the baptism and they said I will be training next transfer in Pauls Valley. I'm super duper nervous, but excited at the same time! I've only been out for 4 months for goodness sake! I got to thinkin' about this and how it would work out with Elders Burnham serving together and it might work out perfectly. Sean has about 2 transfers left if im not mistaken. Training is a 12 week program or 2 tansfers. This may be a blessing. It would work perfectly if granted. Sean would fill my trainee's position! It makes me all hyped to think it could be happening! Plus, we have found like 5 spanish families that would be perfect that Sean could teach. My hands are shaking! Im pretty excited to be a "father" hahaha. Hey mother i have a question for you; did you ever find out what was up with that SD card I sent home? Oh and one last thing, I hate the no hugging rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLEH! So we met this young mother, she's probably 24, and we had been visiting with her husband. Well Friday night we knocked their home and was planning to teach them, but she said he was gone and she didnt know where. They had had an argument that turned south and she thought that might be the end of their marriage. Then she unloaded the big guns! She told us that her father, step-father, sister, grandfather, grandmother, and brother had all died and she had just beaten cancer and how she was diagnosed her junior year, so for prom, graduation senior pictures she had to wear a wig. Her son wasnt supposed to live more than a month, all these things, then out of the blue she asked "Can I hug you guys, y'all have something I need." BAM!!! Shotgun to the heart! I knew I couldn't do it but I wanted to help this woman out in any way. Luckily she went for Elder Haskell first and he stuck his hand out and dodged the hug, so it was easier for me, But dang I blame our family for being such a huggy family! We gave her a Plan of Salvation and Family proclamation pamphlet then prayed with her. The next night we went back and found out that both of them had read the proclamation an where on much better terms, had worked things out and are wanting to come to church and learn more! Im way excited for them! I lord truly works in mysterious ways! I love this work! I love the Plan of Salvation, and knowing I will see my family again! I love knowing true happiness and joy! I love my Father in Heaven, and His son Jesus Christ. I love the gospel! I love the Book of Mormon! Im excited and terrified to train, but I know it will help me grow! I know things happen in Heavenly Father's time and not our own, as frustrating as it may be, I know it s always what's best for us!

Not a Second Wasted,

Elder Burnham (B2)

First Baptism

Well, to answer some questions. I probably wont be helping out too much more with the tornado cleanup unless our branch gets assigned to help. The missionary army is starting to take a step back and focus more on the work again. Which we are happy and sad about, it was nice to take off my tie every once in a while. We are glad to get back in the swing of things. We have a baptism next Saturday with a part member family. The husband is a member and the wife isn't. But on Saturday she will be! :) We are pretty excited. This will be my first baptism on the mission. I'm stoked! I'm a little jealous of Ca Adv. It sounded fun. I'm glad to hear about Jessica, who still hasn't written me! :( and sad to hear about Freddy! That kid is going to be a stud missionary. He will be serving with President Taylor's son. Well I'm rushing this letter because our Zone is having a training p-day down in Ardmore so I don't have much time. But I love you all so much! Thank you for all the wonderful things you do for me!

Not a Second Wasted.

 

Starving and Serving

Ok, so as of now we are not heavily involved. I have not attended church here in Pauls Valley yet. We have been up every week doing clean up. We have a shortened sacrament and then go to work. It's really weird to pass the Sacrament in jeans and a yellow helping hands shirt. But I guess the attire isn't quite as important as the actual ordinance. We did not stay over night, we would drive home each night. We were only about an hour away so it wasn't too bad. 

 

Yes I can give you our address:

202 W. Chapel Ridge #322

Pauls Valley, OK 73075

Well I can't really answer the question about the food yet. I haven't eaten too often here. We are either out working, serving, or up doing relief. The branch here is sad. The dinners here are pretty sparse. We have been fed once by a lady who only speaks spanish, so that was an awkward dinner. We ate and she stared at us and we could not communicate. But I entertained her with my little spanish knowledge, like Gordo, Guapo, Feo, Machismo, and anything else that came to mind. She made some bomb authentic Quesadillas! I don't know if I'm losing weight from service, I hope so. I have been working out a lot, more than I ever did back home so if I'm hefty I'm going to claim muscle mass ;) Oh boy I'm so thankful for being raised in a fun-loving humorous family. It is real easy for me to gain trust with practically anyone. I can get lots of people to open up and tell me deep, dark secrets/concerns. Which in turn helps us find out how to teach people, not lessons. Most people don't like tracting but I like it because you get to meet so many new diverse people and learn how the Atonement can apply to them. It's wonderful!

Oh man Elder Haskell is interesting. He is an older Elder. He is 22 and has only 2 transfers left, so it is a strong possibility I will kill him. He is seriously thinking of going into law-enforcement and is one deaf man, worse than Dad! It drives me insane!!!!!!!!!! Hahahaha. He is from..... yup you guessed it, UTAH! South Jordan. We teach well together, but I've noticed some common sense/social skills lacking so I have been learning patience and Charity. I realize my own lackings when I'm with my companion and it helps me become a better missionary, I think, so I think this companionship will be a very educational one. Well here in Pauls Valley our focus is more rescue than anything else, but we have a baptismal date that is super solid for the 29th! I'm really excited for her! Well that's all I can think of as of now. I love y'all so much! Take care.

Not a Second Wasted

Elder Burnham

Pauls Valley

Yes all is well here on the great planes of OK. We have even more opportunity to serve and provide relief. It was nice being able to take off the tie and put on jeans and go get all dirty and scummy! Physical labor is one of the big things I have strangely been missing. I have found a whole new kind of tired recently. Its wonderful. So I don't think you ever told me what Sara was doing going to g-mas & g-pas for a little while. Is she meeting you guys when you come from Michigan? This summer sounds quite jam packed! Good, it will keep you out of trouble ;) I really do hope and pray Elders Burnham will be companions. Like Sean said, if you have any strings to pull that would be pretty amazing! But prayer will definitely be involved! So I am in a new area, Pauls Valley. This area has a reputation and not a good one. Elder Haskell and I either are being punished or are being trusted. We have been sent in as the clean-up crew. The previous Elders weren't the most obedient. We are in a branch and with what little exposure they had to the missionaries it wasn't good. We have been working on trust and the misconception on how missionaries really operate. We have a less active branch mission leader who hasn't been seen for a few transfers now, and so the work is going to be revolutionized here! hahaha. Pauls Valley could be golden! We have already found some great people. But we have had to back off because of some legal issues they are going through. Its a change moving from a ward where we were doing lots of finding and teaching, to a branch where the focus is retention, rescue, and families. There isn't much wiggle room either. There are 6 missionaries in this little branch. But that's OK. I'm grateful fort the opportunity to be serving here and to help the work move forward! It might not be as easy as Ada but I think it will be more educational and rewarding! Not to mention memorable ;) Well I love you all. Take care and continue praying for the victims of the tornadoes. Before I forget, I'm going to need Sean's new address.

Not a Second Wasted

Elder Burnham

Pauls Valley

The area that eventually became the city of Pauls Valley was one of the earliest European settlements in what was then known as Indian Territory. Smith Paul, born in 1809 in New Bern, North Carolina, discovered the fertile bottom land which is now Pauls Valley while a member of a wagon train traveling to California. Paul described the land as "a section where the bottom land was rich and blue stem grass grew so high that a man on horseback was almost hidden in its foliage".
The Tri-Party Treaty of January 1, 1837 ceded this part of what is now the State of Oklahoma to the Chickasaw Nation. When the Chickasaw Indians were relocated to Indian Territory that year, Smith Paul moved with them and married Ela-Teecha, a Chickasaw Indian woman. In 1847, the Pauls settled on the rich Garvin County bottom land which became known to locals as "Smith Paul’s Valley". By 1871, postal service was established in the area, although the Post Office was accidentally called "Paul's Valley, Arkansas" as the Indian Territory was being administered out of Arkansas. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway shortened the name to "Paul’s Valley" when the railroad came to town in 1887.
The railroad brought growth and prosperity to Smith Pauls Valley. The first newspaper was published in 1887. The Pauls Valley townsite was laid out in 1892. A U.S. Court house was built in 1895. The first white school in Indian Territory was established and brick buildings were built downtown. In 1909, the streets were bricked. 

Today, Pauls Valley has more brick streets [17,986 square yards (15,039 m²)] than any other town in the United States.
The Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame located in the Toy and Action Figure Museum was opened in Pauls Valley in 2005.